Device for increasing strength and lethality of explosives



June 2, 1970 A. J. GALKO 3,515,068

DEVICE FOR INCREASING STRENGTH AND LETHALITY 0F EXPLOSIVES Filed Jan.29, 1964 INVENTOR ANDEW J. GALKO fl 7M, I I I BY I 6.4. m2 4 fl. w

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 015cc 3,515,068 Patented June 2, 19703,515,068 DEVICE FOR INCREASING STRENGTH AND LETHALITY OF EXPLOSIVESAndrew J. Galko, Kenvil, N.J., assignor to the United States of Americaas represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 29, 1964, Ser.No. 341,138

Int. Cl. F42!) 1/00, 3/02 U.S. Cl. 102-22 2 Claims The inventiondescribed herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Governmentfor governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royaltythereon.

The invention relates to means for increasing the physical strength ofexplosive material While at the same time increasing the lethality oreffect of the same when it is exploded.

Modern explosives can be rather roughly handled without danger of beingexploded but a block or pellet of the same does not have sufiicientphysical strength to prevent it from being broken into pieces whensubjected to rough treatment. For instance, when explosive is used as aline charge, a string of explosive ellets is projected by any suitablemeans, as by a rocket, across a mine field and/or across a barrier ofbarbed wire or the like. It is then exploded to create a path throughthe barrier and/or mine field. It has been found that the pellet ofnormal explosive material tends to be "broken into pieces by the shockof the landing of the projected charge whereby to lessen the effect whenexploded or to leave gaps in the path. Also, it has been found that theusual explosive is not sufiiciently effective in exploding mines orclearing barbed wire. For instance, the path created by the usualexplosive is too narrow whereby to require several line charges.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to providean improved body of explosive material which is physically stronger andwhich is effective when detonated to clear a wider path thanconventional blocks or pellets.

A further object is to provide such an improved body of explosive byimbedding non-explosive frangible material therein.

A further object is to provide such an improved body of explosive byimbedding a body of metallic fabric therein.

A further object is to provide an improved line charge comprising aplurality of bodies of the improved pellet or the like which areconnected together by a flexible member.

Other objects and advantages reside in the specific structure ofinvention, the structure of the several element forming the same,combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to theattached drawing in connection with the following specification whereinthe invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a line charge formed by aplurality of the pellets or the like according to the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference charactershave been used throughout to desig- P nate like parts, 10 designatesgenerally a block or pellet of explosive which may be of any suitablesize or shape but which in the embodiment illustrated comprises a shortcylinder which is octagonal and which is formed with an axially disposedhole 11 through the same. A similarly shaped body 12 of reinforcingmaterial is embedded in the pellet 10 concentrically thereof. Thereinforcing body 12 may be of any suitable non-explosive material, andin the species illustrated comprises coarse metal fabric.

The above described structure not only reinforces the pellet 10 againstbreaking but also increases the effectiveness of each pellet when it isdetonated. The force of the explosion shatters the reinforcing fabric 12into fragments which operate like shrapnel which is effective at a muchgreater distance from the center of burst to explode land mines and/ordemolish barbed wire than is a like pellet without the frangiblereinforcement.

FIG. 4 shows a number of pellets 10 which are strung together by anysuitable flexible members such as the cord 13. As many as 1800 pellets10 may be strung together to form a line charge, the same beingprojected across a mine field or other barrier by a rocket or othermeans and then detonated by any suitable detonator, not shown, such asprimer cord threaded through the holes 11 along with the cord 13. Such acharge, when detonated, can clear a path as wide as one hundred feetthrough wide barriers and can detonate land mines as far as thirty feetaway from the center of burst. Then too, the reinforcement provided bythe wire mesh 12 reduces the incidence of damage to the pellets whenprojected as a line charge or otherwise.

While there has been shown and described what is now thought to be apreferred species of the invention, it should be understood that thesame is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, theinvention is not considered to be limited to the precise structure shownand'described hereinabove but only as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. An explosive line charge comprising, a plurality of octagonal plasticpellets of explosive, said pellets having central openings therein,flexible means threaded through said openings and maintaining saidpellets in spaced relation, each pellet reinforced with a cylindricalbody of metal fabric embedded concentrically with the central openingand symmetrical with outside contour of said explosive pellet, saidmetal fabric adapted to be fragmented on explosion.

2. An octagonal plastic pellet of explosive material having a centralopening therein, a reinforcing cylindrical body of non-explosive metalfabric embedded in said explosive material concentrically with saidcentral opening and symmetrical with the outside contour of saidexplosive body and said non-explosive metal fabric being adapted to befragmented to form shrapnel upon explosion of said explosive material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,710 11/1957 Tyson 102 222,977,885 4/1961 Perry etal. 1o2 9s 3,114,316 12/1963 Littleton 1o2 221,530,692 3/1925 Paulus 102-98 VERLIN R. PENDEGRASS, Primary ExaminerU.S. c1. X.R. 10267

1. AN EXPLOSIVE LINE CHARGE COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF OCTAGONAL PLASTICPELLETS OF EXPLOSIVE, SAID PELLETS HAVING CENTRAL OPENINGS THEREIN,FLEXIBLE MEANS THREADED THROUGH SAID OPENINGS AND MAINTAINING SAIDPELLETS IN SPACED RELATION, EACH PELLET REINFORCED WITH A CYLINDRICALBODY OF METAL FABRIC EMBEDDED CONCENTRICALLY WITH THE CENTRAL OPENINGAND SYMMETRICAL WITH OUTSIDE CONTOUR OF SAID EXPLOSIVE PELLET, SAIDMETAL FABRIC ADAPTED TO BE FRAGMENTED ON EXPLOSION.